Wild About Tamworth

Comma Butterfly found at Croxell Lakes

Wild About Tamworth

Wild About Tamworth project

A partnership between Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Tamworth Borough Council and the communities of Tamworth to improve the Borough’s wild places to benefit both people and wildlife. Take a look at the trust's leaflet on Tamworth's wild spaces below for more information.

Exploring Tamworth’s Wild Spaces leaflet

Involving communities 

The project has helped set up nine active conservation volunteer groups, who each meet regularly to look after and improve eight green spaces in Tamworth:

Dosthill Park LNR

A popular 12-hectare park featuring a children’s play area, walk-ways and a new ‘Wind in the Willows’ sculpture trail. Since becoming an LNR in 2010, volunteers work hard to manage and improve large areas of valuable wildlife habitat within the park, including woodland, grassland, a network of ditches and watercourses, and a stretch of habitat along the River Tame. Work has also been ongoing to build a boardwalk through the wet woodland area so visitors can access the site without getting their shoes or boots muddy. Dosthill Park Wildlife Group meets on the first Sunday of each month

Dosthill Park LNR leaflet

Tameside LNR

Formed as an LNR in March 2006 with a man-made lake, Tameside is located on the Fazeley Road between Tamworth and Fazeley. The lake has four small islands that provide valuable meeting sites for bird life. Tameside Wildlife Conservation Group manages Tameside Nature Reserv and meets on the second Sunday of every month. 

Tameside LNR leaflet

Hodge Lane LNR

The 4.55 hectare LNR is accessed from Chandler’s Drive, Amington. It is a great place to explore a range of wildlife pathways, grassland areas, canal tow path and perfect picnic locations. Local volunteers meet on the last Sunday in the month to carry out management work

Hodge Lane LRN leaflet

Town Wall LRN

Located off the Hockley Road, Wilnecote and adjacent to a small playing field, this LNR is a great place for all the family to enjoy. There are a range of paths, trees and areas with piles of branches and deadwood to encourage children to build dens and play. The meadow and grassland area provide a lovely picnic area, surrounded by flowers and wildlife. Town Wall Conservation Group carries out conservation tasks on the site on the second Sunday of the month.

Town Hall LRN leaflet

Warwickshire Moor LNR

Situated off Moor Lane, Bolehall, this LNR developed through funding from the Central Rivers Initiative in 2006, has a series of pools, pathways, a boardwalk and bird boxes that families have built across the site; making this a brilliant place to see wildflowers and habitants including water dock, common reed and small mammals. The Friends of Warwickshire Moor, residents meet on the third Sunday of every month.

Warwickshire Moor LNR Leaflet

Kettle Brook LNR

This LNR stretches from Glascote to Wilnecote and runs through Belgrave. There are various access points to the reserve including Lakeside from Jowett, off Leyland Road, Fossdale Road and at Belgrave by the dance studio on Bird’s Bush Road. This site has so much to offer and is managed by Wildlife Conservation Groups and Friends of Belgrave and Stonydelph Lakes. There are two groups which meet here - Friends of the Lakes (Belgrave and Stonydelph) who meet on the first Sunday of the month and the Wilnecote Wildlife Conservation Group who meet on the last Saturday

kettle Brook LRN leaflet

Broad Meadow LNR  

This 25-hectares LNR is situated on the island between the two channels of the River Tame, off Lichfield Road near to the Moor Street traffic island. It is recognised as a site of biological importance, as it is a prime example of lowland meadow – a floodplain grassland habitat which is becoming increasingly rare in Staffordshire and across the UK. Broad Meadow is also one of only two sites in the county where the rare Snake’s Head Fritillary can be found growing wild. More details can be found here:  www.tamworth.gov.uk/broad-meadow

Wiggington Park

Home of Tamworth Rugby Club, this large park of more than 20 hectares, is also host to a Tree Trail, wildflower meadow, a community orchard, children’s play area and offers a variety of activities such as bat walks and bird survey’s. A popular place for families, walkers and sporting activities. The Friends of Wiggington Park meet on the second Sunday of most months. The project also gives schools and groups the opportunity to go on educational visits. The Wild About Tamworth Project Officer can take classes to the reserves and carry out environmental activities. There is also a Wiggington Park Tree Trail that you can follow around the park. See the bottom of the webpage for more information 

Volunteering

Events / volunteering

EVENTS: You can view our upcoming events on our website here https://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/events

VOLUNTEERING: If you are interested in joining one of the volunteer groups please email tamworth@staffs-wildlife.org.uk. We can then assess, with the group leaders, upon a starting date for new volunteers. 

We also have a Youth Rangers programme in the summer term, with two groups available, one for 14-17 years olds and one for 18 - 24-year-olds.

Please contact Shaun Rimmer,  Senior Community Engagement Officer at s.rimmer@staffs-wildlife.org.uk if you want to know more or watch these introduction videos: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDZ5rRotALc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew_bVLJIVgA

Wild About Tamworth - education projects

Credit: Paul Harris/2020VISION

Wild about Tamworth also offers local schools and youth groups the chance to use local nature reserves as an educational tool to support their learning. Over a thousand children have received environmental education through the project in the last two years.

Tamworth Borough Council commission part of the project and the rest of the work is funded through external grants.

Wild About Tamworth project - installing owl box

Installing an barn owl box 

Protecting Tamworth's green spaces

Through Wild about Tamworth (WAT), seven valuable wildlife-rich sites have been designated as Local Nature Reserves, and the community conservation groups have made many improvements to make their green spaces better for both wildlife and people.

If you would like to explore Tamworth's wild spaces, why not take a look at the leaflet below:

Walking on the wild side - enjoying green spaces with your dog leaflet

Explore Wild About Tamworth

Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography

Environmental stewardship

Tamworth Borough Council currently have a number of the Borough Council’s green spaces in a Natural England Environmental Stewardship scheme. This is a scheme which offers funding in return for looking after land in a way that benefits the wildlife, historical, landscape and community interest.

Want to know more?

For further information on any aspect of the project, call the Wild about Tamworth officer on 07970067711.

Wigginton Park Tree Trail

Wigginton Park Tree Trail 

The Wigginton Park Tree Trail leads you through the park to learn more about the 9 coniferous and broadleaved trees on the trail.  You can download and print off at home a tree trail leaflet and and cover which are listed below. It is great fun to do with little ones. 

Each tree has a post with an embossed leaf shape on top to create your own brass rubbing and then make your own book using the printed leaflet.

Tree Trail

Local groups involved in the project:

1. Holm Oak - Stonydelph Community Café
2. Ash - Coton Green Primary School
3. Horse Chestnut - Birds Bush Primary School
4. Oak (Burnt Oak) - Flaxhill Primary School
5. Beech (Graffiti Tree) - Tamworth Rangers
6. Elm Avenue - Coton Green Pre-school
7. Scots Pine - Tamworth Guides
8. Giant Sequoia - Dosthill Rainbows and Brownies

Stories written, devised and developed by Mal Dewhirst and Christine Genders

Tree Trail cover pages

Tree Trail Inside pages

Each tree also has its own story, developed as part of the project with local community groups, as listed below. You can click on a story to download it!

Tree Trail stories
1. Poppyholly and the Christmas Tree
2. Tomax Dances
3. Chester Barky
4. Bok the Oakman
5. The Grafitti Tree
6. Woody Barker
7. Here be treasure
8. The day the storm came

The Maurice Arnold Legacy project (2023 -2026)

Maurice Arnold was a pivotal part of the Wild About Tamworth team. He was a local man who was a force for nature. He loved, lived and breathed it. His knowledge and understanding of wildlife was extensive and he loved to help others learn all about it. 

Maurice dedicated many years to helping both SWT (even before Wild About Tamworth started) and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. When he sadly passed away, he opted to leave a very generous gift to both charities in his will. By pledging this legacy to the charities, his passion for nature is able to live on through our work.

The project will essentially allow us to continue the great work Maurice did himself. Enthusing and inspiring others to get involved in monitoring local wildlife. Working together with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust,  we will deliver regular activities and training courses to increase people's wildlife knowledge. Maurice’s friends and peers will also offer learning experiences, walks, talks, sessions and resources. Together we can share with others the knowledge that Maurice shared with us. You can learn more about the project's launch in April 2023 here.

An elderly man sits next to a table holding a mug. He wears glasses, a white rugby style top and a blue waterproof coat

Maurice Arnold left a generous legacy to help SWT and Warwickshire WT continue to inspire learning about nature in the Tamworth area.

Maurice Arnold was passionate about wildlife and spent his time helping others learn all about it. Thanks to his generous gift, we will continue his work so many more people in Tamworth can connect with their local nature.